VARIATION OF LONGSHORE-CURRENT AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT ALONG THE SOUTHMAHARASHTRA COAST, WEST-COAST OF INDIA

The longshore current velocity varied between 0.1 and 0.33 m.sec-1. Th e longshore current direction was predominantly southward at Ratnagiri , Ambolgarh, whereas it was variable at Vengurla during the study peri od. Based on the field measurements, the estimated longshore sediment transport rates at Ratnagiri, Ambolgarh and Vengurla were 1.19 x 10(5) , 1.9 x 10(5) and 0.53 x 10(5) m3.y-1 respectively and the direction w as southward. Significance of field measurement is emphasized here, in view of the large variation in the computed longshore sediment transp ort rates reported in earlier studies.